


The New Apprentice

by Keiyn



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Multi, Named Apprentice (The Arcana), Polyamory, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:21:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27830692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keiyn/pseuds/Keiyn
Summary: As an up and coming magician, Raeleigh had ventured to Vesuvia to start a new life away from her toxic past. Meeting the magician Asra, Julian, Porta, Muriel, and Nadia, Rae is thankful to have friends who accept her for who she is.However, Rae has been keeping her past a secret from her friends. She left herself behind, but what happens if it starts to catch up to her? Will her friends be understanding and caring? Or will their opinion of her change to where they want nothing to do with her?
Relationships: Asra/Julian Devorak, Asra/Julian Devorak/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! :)  
> I started this story as a NaNoWriMo story. I really needed a push to get back into writing, and since I fell in love with this game shortly before November hit, I thought why not!  
> I'm also publishing this on wattpad, so if you happen to see it there, don't worry! That's also me! I hope you enjoy this!

Vesuvia. I've been here for almost a year, working at a quaint magic shop. I'm thankful I have a place to work, and a roof over my head. My master had a spare bedroom in his house upstairs from his shop, so he kindly offered it to me. Before, I was sleeping where I could: under bridges, in alleyways, etc. When I was awake, I was in the marketplace doing tarot readings for money to get food. That's how I met my master. He saw me doing a love reading for a couple, and ventured over after they left, asking if I was a magician. During the conversation,we talked about all sorts of things. Magic, familiars, readings. He took note of my clothes being dirty, and my shoes worn.

I explained how I left home a month prior, and I was still looking for a stable job to buy a place to live. He looked surprised before it quickly faded as he smiled. That was when he offered to be my master in magic, a job at his shop, and the extra room. I jumped on the opportunity, thanking him numerous times as we walked to his home. The next day, he took me out to buy proper clothes, shoes, and even bought me lunch.

It's been almost a year since I moved here, and needless to say, it was the right decision.

"Rae, are you awake?"

I felt my heart flutter as I hear Asra call my name from his room.

"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen making breakfast and tea. Would you like some?" I call back. Before I heard an answer, I felt something slither up my leg to my shoulder. I turn and look at Faust, Asra's familiar. I smile as I lightly scratch under the snake's chin, greeted with a small lick to my cheek.

"Good morning to you, too, Faust," I greet her.

"So that's where you went, Faust. Wanted to greet Rae before me, hm?"

I turned the other way and saw Asra there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed with a smirk on his face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked Rae more than me."

"Oh, come, now, we know you're her favorite person, Master," I said with a small chuckle. Asra simply shakes his head, walking towards the pile of plush pillows he has near the kitchen. Foust slithers down my body and went to Asra in a heartbeat. "What tea would you like?"

"Whatever tea you're taking will be fine, thank you," he replied as he curls up. I smile at him as he closes his eyes, getting comfortable on his pile of pillows. Turning back to the stove, I put the kettle on while I continue with breakfast. It doesn't take too long, and soon I'm handing Asra a mug of green and jasmine tea with a plate of seasoned eggs and ham. I sit at the table with my own breakfast and take a small sip of my tea.

"Are you going out today, Master?" I ask, noticing he was already in outing clothes and his boots. 

"Yeah, I'm going to visit Muriel this morning. Would you like to join me?" he asks in between bites of food. I shake my head a little.

"No, I'll be okay. I know he doesn't like visitors much, and I don't want to overwhelm him," I answer.

"Are you sure? I know he likes you, and it's rare for him to make friends like he did with you."

That may be true, but I didn't want to make Muriel uncomfortable by adding a second body to his small hut. It didn't take long for him to warm up to me, but I suspect that had to do with Inanna, his wolf companion, liking me the moment I met her. Muriel doesn't really like visitors, but with how long he's known Asra, he's the exception.

"I might see what Julian is up to, or maybe visit Nadia. I know you said we can close the shop today, so I want to get out in the town for a while," I insist. I see a spark of guilt flash in Asra's eyes.

"You don't really get out much because I'm always gone on adventures, and I'm sorry about that, Rae. But I promise you, I'll be home for a good while this time," he apologizes. I set my mug down on the table and look at him.

"Don't apologize, Master. I know you do it to gather supplies for the shop, and I can't expect you to be cooped up here, either. One of us should get out more often than not, and I'm okay with being here by myself," I say, half lying to him. When he leaves to go on his adventures, it gets lonely here at the shop. I'm thankful I have Julian and his sister, Portia, to keep me company. But something about Asra is different when it's just the two of us. I get flustered easily, my heartbeat is slightly sporadic, and just having him near me calms me down.

I've never admitted my feelings for him, mainly because he's my master. I wouldn't want things to get awkward between us if he doesn't feel the same, and I wouldn't want it to cause a strain in our friendship. I don't know when the feelings started, and before I knew it, they were there.

"Hmm... If you say so, Rae. I'll clean up since you cooked, and you can head out before me. I'll lock up the shop, I know you're dying to go have fun," he offers, sending me a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. I let out a small sigh before giving him a smile. After I dress for the day and put my hair in a low bun, I go tell Asra I was off. I find him in the kitchen, humming to himself while he washes the dishes with Foust in the windowsill, soaking up the sun.

"I'm off, Master. I'll be home for dinner, if you'll be," I announce, making him turn his head towards me.

"We could always go out to eat, if you'd prefer. We haven't gone out in a while, have we?" he suggests, a smirk playing on his lips. I felt my heart beat faster, a small blush forming on my cheeks.

"That sounds great. When would you like to meet up, and where?" I ask, my mouth forming its own smile.

"How about by the baker's stand, say close to sunset? I know this place that opens up closer to that time, and they serve the best food."

"Okay! I'll see you then," I say, reaching for my coat.

"Oh, it's a bit chilly out. Why don't you take one of my scarves? It'll keep your neck warm with your hair up," he offers, tilting his head towards his mounds of scarves. I walk over and reach for the first one I see, which is a deep purple with gold tassels on the end. I wrap it around my neck, tight enough to keep me warm.

"Thank you, As- Master. I promise to take care of it," I mumble into the scarf, almost calling him his name. "I'd best get going, I need to go to the market and pick up a few things before finding the buffoon."

Asra chuckles and gives me a cute smiling, adding, "Alright. Please be careful, Rae." I nod and hurry out the door before he could notice my face as red as a tomato.


	2. Two

After finishing up at the market, I head towards the Rowdy Raven, hoping Julian is there. Soon, I reach the tavern and I see a familiar raven perched at the top of the sign. I give a small wave to it before I head inside, spotting the mess of auburn hair automatically. I walk to the booth at the furthest corner of the tavern where Julian sat by himself. When I'm right behind him, I peer over his shoulder at the papers scattered across the table.

"Still helping the Countess with the aqueduct system, Julian?" I ask. Julian jumps nearly a foot in the air, startled by my question. He turns around, a mad blush spread across his cheeks.

"Rae! Why would you startle me like that?" he whines, putting his face in his hands as I sit across from him. I laugh and set my bag beside me, grinning at the doctor.

"Because you're easily startled, and you're easily flustered. It's hard to resist scaring you, Julian," I laugh out. "How's the progress?"

"It's great! Nadia knows what she's doing, so I've no idea why she's asking for my help," he admits.

"Maybe because you know Vesuvia like the back of your hand?" I suggest. "And it's easier for you to talk to the people, go out and see what needs to be done. The Countess can't exactly do that without a bunch of guards around her."

"Eh, you've got a point there. So, I know you didn't come to the Raven for the Salty Bitters, dear, so I must ask, why are you here?" he asks, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Master is visiting Muriel today, and he said we could close the shop for the day. I thought I should make the most of it and get out, spend time with friends if I could. I know Portia is at the palace, and I figured you'd be free from work, but I guess I assumed wrong," I mention, waving my hand to the papers on the table.

"Oh, no no, it's perfectly fine. I can store these at Mazelinka's and we can be off," he explains. "I'd rather spend time with you than racking my brain for hours on end."

"That doesn't take much to do, Julian," I laugh out, noticing the smirk on his face as he tries to glare at me.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Julian cries out dramatically, gathering the papers, grabbing my hand, and pulling me out of the tavern. I laugh as Julian and I briskly walked this way and that, quickly making it to Mazelinka's house. The house belonged to Julian and Portia's honorary grandmother, who also did green magic. Julian still refuses that she practices, and claims that it's for medical purposes. Portia and Mazelinka gave up on trying to convince him otherwise.

"Here we are, Rae! I'm sure Mazelinka will be happy to see you again. I know you've both been too busy to visit each other," Julian admits, stopping in front of a small home.

"She actually came by the shop sometime last week. She ran out of herbs, and her garden didn't have any ready for harvest," I admit. I see a small blush form on his cheeks as he lets out a small huff before knocking on the door. After hearing a few things shuffling inside, the door opens with a short standing woman wielding a wooden spoon in her hand as she starts to bark out.

"I keep telling you, it isn't- oh, it's just you, Ilya," Mazelinka muses, giving him a good once over.

"Rae is with me, too!" Julian laughs out as I poke out from behind his tall frame, giving Mazelinka a small smile and a wave.

"Oh, Rae, it's good to see you! Have you been keeping this doof in line for me?" she questions, moving out of the way so we can walk in. Well, I walk in, Julian has to duck to fit in the door.

"Of course, Mazelinka. He'd be a walking zombie if it weren't for Master and I forcing him out of the clinic," I chuckle out, taking in the small house around me. Along the counter tops and windowsills were hanging herbs to dry, bottles filled with soup or potions. As I figured, she already has a pot in the fireplace with a golden colored liquid in it. "What are you cooking up today, Mazelinka?"

"Just a good soup to help with motivation, is all. I assume you came here for a purpose, Ilya?" she questions the tall man, who was sitting at her table.

"I was actually wondering if you could watch over these papers for me while I went and spent time with Rae. Asra's off to the woods, and Rae wanted a bit of company," he explains, putting his papers on the table in front of him.

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine with me. As long as you promise to take better care of yourself and not run yourself ragged," she agrees, holding up her wooden spoon in his direction.

"O-of course, Mazelinka," he stammers, his face a brilliant shade of pink.

"And stop giving these magicians a hard time. They need to handle their own things, not constantly look after you," she said with a laugh, sending a wink towards me. "You don't want word getting to Pasha that you've been stubborn, do you?"

"No, please don't tell Pasha! I'll do better, I promise!"

I chuckle at Julian, scared of his younger sister. When I met Julian and Portia, it was confusing when they were calling each other by their actual names until Asra explained to me that they have two names they go by. Julian is rather reckless, and Portia was really protective over him. However, she'll really lay into him if she hears that he isn't taking care of himself. If you didn't know any better, you'd think their ages were reversed.

"Don't worry, Maze, I'll make sure to keep him in line," I promise her. "And I hate to drop in and run, but I do have some things to look at in the market."

"Of course, dear girl. Take this bean pole and make sure you two have fun, alright?" Mazelinka grins at me. I smile back and give her a nod before hugging her. Julian hugs her as well before we leave the small home, making our way back to the market.

"Sorry about that, Rae. I know she means well, but sometimes it can be overwhelming," Julian mutters, shaking his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I know she loves you. Besides, you do tend to run yourself to the ground. You can't work at your best if you're not okay yourself, you know. And you're the head doctor at the clinic," I explain, nudging his arm with my shoulder. That small gesture is received with a blush on his face.

"Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be bothering you and Asra with it, either," he sighs out. I just laugh at him and shake my head.

"We care for you, too, Julian. We wouldn't be so involved if we didn't," I tell him. "I can't speak for master, but I don't mind at all. You're my friend, and I want to make sure you're okay."

"Thank you, Rae," Julian thanks with a smile. "I really mean it. I'll repay you for your kindness somehow."

"Well," I muse, noticing we were on the edge of the market, "you could always buy me lunch."

I send him a sly smile, and he lets out a bellow of a laugh.

"That, my dear, I can do."

As we make our way through the market, we venture around most stalls and bought small things here and there. We find ourselves in the fashion district, and we buy a few too many clothes than we probably needed. After a few hours, we stop at an outside restaurant and sat down with a good portion of food and drinks.

"So, Rae," Julian started, taking a small sip of his drink, "when do you plan to tell Asra that you like him."

"W-what? I-I don't have feelings for my master!" I sputter out, shoving food in my mouth before I shove my foot in there again. Julian snickers at my response.

"Dear, everyone can see it. Even Nadia noticed the last time you two were at the palace," he mentions. "If Asra doesn't notice, he's more dense than I thought."

I sigh and set down the slice of apple I was about to eat, putting my elbow on the table.

"I don't want to tell him, Ilya. I don't want to make things awkward between us. He's my master, for fuck's sake. I live with him, I work for him. I don't exactly see that working out well in the end on my part," I mutter out, putting my chin in the palm of my hand. "So it's just better to not tell him and do my best to get rid of the feelings."

"Rae, you don't really think that, do you?" Julian asks me. "How do you know he doesn't feel the same way?"

"That's easy to answer. He doesn't act any differently towards me than when we first met. He acts just as a friend, which is all he'll ever be."

I let out a frustrated sigh and start munching away on apple slices, trying to end the conversation. I could feel Julian's eyes on me as he takes another sip of his drink, and then he sighs.

"Alright. I won't push it any further. If you don't really intend to go after him, maybe try being with someone else. It might help you move on. Just think about it."

All I do is slightly nod my head before taking a long sip of my tea. At least he was dropping the subject for now. I didn't realize that I was that obvious with how I felt towards Asra. And he's a really smart person; if everyone else could see it, he would see it, too. And if he did, and just kept acting friendly towards me, that just gives me all the answers I needed for the lack of trying to pursue him. Honestly, it makes sense as to why he's off on journeys all the time. He was probably trying to give me space to get over him. While I was thankful for that, it still hurts when he's gone for long periods of time. While the shop was busy during the days, it was really quiet at night. Thankfully, the last few times Asra was out on his adventures, Julian started inviting me out to the Rowdy Raven for drinks. It helped me forget for a while.

After we finish our food, we decide to head back to the shop to let me drop off my things. The walk is comfortably silent. We don't have to talk to enjoy each other's company, even though Julian didn't know how to shut up sometimes. I don't mind either or, because Julian knows how to make me feel better. He makes me laugh, smile even, when I was down. I probably consider him as my best friend. When he was drunk from too many salty bitters, he'd flirt like no other with me. I figured it was because of how many drinks he would chug down, but who knows what goes on in that man's head.

Once we reach my shop, I go to take down the cross me not spell and unlock the door. After I open the door and walk through, I look back at Julian, who is standing nervously at the entrance.

"Why are you just standing there? Come on in, Julian," I chuckle as I turn back around and walk towards the back room. I hear the door softly close behind me, and I feel a small smile play on my lips. "It's not like this is your first time in a woman's house alone, you know."

I hear him sputter out a response, his face more than likely ten shades of red. I let out a laugh as I head up the stairs to put my things down in my room. I hear the stairs creak under his weight, so I now know he is slowly making his way up to the living space. After I place my things in my room, I go to find Julian in the kitchen, sitting down at the table. His face was still flushed, wriggling his hands, and looking all over the room when I walked up beside him.

"Are you okay, Ilya? You're not usually this nervous when you come to the shop," I ask, placing my hand lightly on his shoulder. He gave a small yelp before turning to me.

"Well, uh, you see, every time I'm here. Asra is also here. Or you're not and Asra is. It's never, uh, just the two of us," he sputters to me. "I don't know why, but, uh, I'm somehow really nervous about that fact."

I raise my eyebrow at him before going to sit across from him. I take his hand in both of mine and pat his hand a few times.

"Ilya, you don't have to be nervous. It's just me, you know. I'm your friend. You don't have to worry about anything bad happening, okay?" I say softly, trying to soothe him. I see a bit of stress leave his shoulders as he relaxes.

"I-I know. I'm not really worried about anything bad happening, per say. I guess I don't want Asra to come in and get the wrong impression? I don't know, I can't really explain it," he mutters, putting his free hand on top of mine. "I don't want him to think I'm taking his apprentice away."

I let out a snort before asking, "That's what you're worried about? Ilya, I highly doubt that's going to go through his head if he sees the two of us here. He knows we're just friends, anyway."

"Yeah, I know. But you never know what's going on in that head of his nowadays. He's been so distracted since he came back from his last journey," he admits, sighing as he looks down at our hands. "It's worrying everyone. Even Mazelinka has noticed."

"Yeah, I've noticed something's been off with him. I know it isn't my business, so I don't pry. But if you're so worried, why don't you talk to him about it?" I ask, rubbing his hand with my thumb. I haven't seen him this worried in a while, and it's concerning.

"I've tried. Hell, even Muriel and Nadia have tried. But he always says he's fine, and nothing's wrong. We don't really know what to do, and we know that if we try to all talk to him at once, he'll block us out again."

I can see the sadness in his eyes, even with one eye covered by his hair. He looks up at me and gives me a small smile, squeezing my hands.

"I think, Rae, that he'll talk to you if you ask him about it. It seems like he really trusts you, even if you don't see it," he says softly. I slowly shake my head.

"If he doesn't talk to you, or the Countess, he sure as hell won't talk to me about his troubles. You're both closer to him than I am. And I'm just his apprentice, anyway."

"You'd be surprised as to what you can do when you're determined, Rae. Just promise to think about it, please?" he begs, tugging our hands to his chest. The look on his face makes me believe him, which is frustrating.

"Fine," I agree with a sigh. "But don't expect me to get anything out of him. You know how he is when he doesn't want to talk."

"Thank you, Rae. I owe you one," Julian says with a small smile, drawing my hand to his face and kisses the back of my hand. I feel a small blush slowly creep up to my ears.

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me more food, you goof," I laugh, pulling my hands out of his. "Come on, I want to go and take a walk before I meet up with master for dinner."

Julian wiggles his eyebrows at me before he laughs and stands up.

"Let's go, milady, and take a stroll around town before your date with your mighty master," he says dramatically, holding out his arm for me to take. I giggle and lace my arm through his.

"Let us walk, good sir, and hope I don't become as dramatic as you," I giggle out as we walk downstairs and out the door. I put up the cross-me-not spell and lock the door with the key, turning around and smiling at Julian.

"Lead the way, my good sir," I sigh out dramatically, linking my arm with his once more.

We walk around the market again, going in and out of stalls once more, before something spots my eye. I walk over to it and smile, seeing that it's a small fox that's painted the same color as Faust. I pay for it and meet back with Julian, gift in my jacket pocket as I see him looking at journals. They are all of different sizes and colors, and it seems like Julian was having a hard time finding one to his liking.

"Which do you think is a good fit, dear?" he asks without taking his eyes off the journals. I skim over the books of parchment before my eyes spot one that's colored red and black, with a raven emblem in the middle. It has a sliding lock on it, as well as a leather strap to keep it closed. I pick it up, and it's a good weight for someone like Julian.

"What about this one?" I suggest, handing him the book once he looks at me. He gives off a devilish grin and nods, turning to the merchant.

"I'll take this one, good sir," he says, handing over the coins for the journal. After he's done, we set off again towards the bakery I'm meant to meet Asra at.

Once we get there, I spot Asra's white fluff of hair before I see anything else. I feel my heart start to beat faster, and a flutter in my stomach. I feel Julian's eyes on me, and I just know he has a smirk on his face without having to look at him. He puts a hand to the side of his mouth and shouts out, "Oi, Asra!"

Asra spins towards the sound of his name and his eyes automatically land on me. A smile spreads across his lips as he walks towards us, Faust poking out of his clothes.

"Rae, Ilya. Glad to see you've kept her in one piece today," Asra chuckles, eyes going between Julian and I.

"Why, Asra, are you accusing me of breaking our dear friend here?" he asks, fake shock on his face as he sets a hand over his heart. "I would never!"

"So you mean to tell me the time I came home to you two drunkenly singing pirate shanties in our kitchen isn't breaking them?" Asra questions, an eyebrow raising slowly. I felt a blush go full on across my face.

"I mean, Pasha was there with us singing along. If she was singing and not broken, I believe our dear Rae wasn't broken."

"To be fair, Julian, I felt like utter death the next day," I comment, smirking at the tall redhead.

"Ah, but you had a wonderful time the night before, did you not?" he asks, raising his own eyebrow and smirks back at me. I let out a small snort and cover my mouth with my hands, trying my best to hide my smile.

"That's besides the point, mister," I laugh out. I hear Asra laughing in front of us, drawing my attention back to him. I give off a small smile in his direction before reaching out to give Faust small chin scratches.

"I hope master hasn't been putting you through your paces today, sweet girl," I mutter softly. She flicks her tongue against my fingers before sliding out of Asra's clothes and settling across my shoulders. I smile and softly pet the top of her head as she makes herself comfortable.

"Just a bit, maybe," Asra says shyly, a blush on his cheeks. Julian gives off a low chuckle at the scene in front of him and sighs.

"I'll leave you two to get on to your dinner date," he says with a grin.

"I-It's not a date, Julian!" I sputter out, knowing my face is probably three different shades of red. He raises an eyebrow at me and bows dramatically to us both.

"Have a wonderful night, you two. I'll see you all soon."

And with that, he was off, leaving Asra and I alone.

"Well, shall we go, Rae?" Asra asks, holding his hand out to me. I smile and lace my fingers through his.

"Ready when you are, master," I reply softly. An emotion flashes across his face, but before I can figure out what it is, it's gone and replaced with a smile.

We walk through the streets before we go into an alley way, stopping in front of a door under a sign of a tea cup with sparkles out the top. Once Asra opens the door, I'm hit with an assortment of scents from the small restaurant. I smile at the scents and close my eyes once we're in and the door is closed. I open my eyes as I feel Asra give my arm a small tug, looking at him to see a warm smile on his face. He leads me to a booth in the back corner, secluded from view of most of the room.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to order for you. This might be your first time here, but I think I know what you might like," he says softly, his hand still in mine.

"Of course," I agree with a small nod. "You know this place better than I do, so I don't know what they serve here. I trust you."

He gives me a small smile as his thumb slowly runs back and forth across the back of my hand, sending small shivers down my spine. While I don't mind, he has never shown me this much affection before. Julian wasn't kidding when he said he was acting off lately. I place my chin in the palm of my free hand, resting my elbow on the table.

"Is everything okay, master?" I ask softly. I feel his hold on my hand tighten slightly before he looks down at the table. "You've been acting off since you came back from your last journey. Did something happen?"

It's quiet for a moment before a waiter came to our table. Asra takes the distraction and orders us both tea and snacks, his voice sounding a bit tight as he speaks. After he leaves, Asra falls back into silence. His grip is still slightly more pressured, and his thumb is still gliding across the back of my hand. When he finally spoke, he became quiet.

"I went to the Arcana Realms, to speak with my mentor. He sent me on a journey to find my answer, which just left me more confused than when I started. I went back, and he made me have more questions than I wanted to think about," he finishes with a sigh. I place my free hand on his hand and rub my fingers over his hand.

"I won't pry, master, but please know that if you need to talk, I'm here. I might be your apprentice, but I'm also your friend. We're all worried about you, so please know you aren't alone," I say softly, hoping my words reach him. He lets out a soft sigh, and takes both of my hands in his and holds them firmly. He looks up at me and gives me a heartfelt smile.

"Thank you, Rae. I care for you more than you know, and I'm thankful that you're here with me. Please don't forget that," he says with a smile. I smile back, thankful that he's shared that with me. It's surprising he didn't talk to anyone else about it, though.

We start talking about small things that have been happening around the town before he came back home before our food and tea arrive. We continue talking as we eat, sharing laughs and bringing up memories. We sit and talk for an hour after our food is finished, and we're currently on our fourth cup of tea.

"So, how often do you hang out with Ilya while I'm gone?" Asra questions, looking at me over his mug as he takes a drink of his tea.

"Uh... I want to say a good portion of the weeknights when you're gone. Most definitely every weekend night. Being around other people helps when you're gone. Being in the shop by myself can get lonely, even if you're just off at the palace," I comment. "And no, I don't want you to feel bad, master. You go off on your journeys for a reason, so there's no reason to feel bad."

"I can't help it, Rae. I don't want you lonely, but I also don't want you to get in danger," he says, looking down at his tea.

"I have Julian, and Portia, and Mazelinka. And the Countess. Don't think I'm lonely just because you're not here. I have friends here, too," I tell him, giving him a small smile. "Sure, I might drink a bit too much on the weekends, but it's fun with Julian and Portia. So please, don't worry about me."

He seems to think for a few moments before giving a slow nod.

"We should probably head home, Rae. It's starting to get late," he says with a small smile, standing up from the booth. I follow suit, giving a smile in return. He pays for the meal and holds out his hand for me to take, which I took willingly. We walk out the door and into the cool night air, taking a deep breath in of the air. I pull the scarf a bit tighter around my neck and lower face, hoping to keep out a bit of the chill. It doesn't get cold enough for snow in Vesuvia, but it gets cold enough to require long sleeves. I shiver a bit, and it seems like Asra notices. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me tight against his side.

"We don't need for you to get cold, do we?" he muses with a sly smile on his face. I'm thankful that it's dark out so he doesn't see the flush on my face. Thankfully it doesn't take us long to get back to the shop. Asra unlocks the door and lets us in, and I'm thankful that it's already warm in here. I take off my scarf and suddenly remember the fox figurine in my jacket pocket.

"Oh, Asra! I found something for you in the market while I was with Julian today, and it automatically reminded me of you," I say, taking the fox out of my pocket, hanging it to him. He smiles and turns the fox over in his hands. "It's similar to Faust's colors, and I know how you identify with foxes. So I thought you'd like it."

"Like it? I love it, Rae. Thank you, so, so much," he thanks me, pulling me into a tight hug. I grin as I hug him back.

"That makes me happy, I'm glad I picked it out," I admit, grinning from ear to ear. He pulls away from me and places a small kiss on the top of my head, making me flush furiously.

"Oh. I've a request for you, Rae," Asra mentions after he let go of me.

"Y-Yes, master?" I squeak out. He laughs lightly before continuing.

"You don't have to call me master anymore. You've come so far, possibly further than I am. You knew plenty before we met, and you know so much more. So calling me master isn't necessary anymore," he comments, looking me in the eye.

"I- Um- What?" I stutter out. "What do I call you then?"

I automatically regret asking such a stupid question.

"Well," he says lowly with a sly grin, "I have a few ideas, but you can just call me by my name. Think you can start doing that?"

I can't say anything due to the lump in my throat, and my heart beating furiously that I fear it would burst from my chest. Is he teasing me? Is he flirting with me? I can't speak, so I simply nod my head. He snickers and ruffles my hair softly.

"Come on, Rae. We should head to bed. We've been summoned to the palace tomorrow to have lunch and tea with Nadia," he informs me, taking my hand and leading me upstairs. I feel a blush cross my cheeks as I grin stupidly, letting him lead me upstairs. At this point, I'd follow him anywhere.


	3. Three

I wake up to the sounds of rain pounding on the window. I groan and try to pull the blanket over my head more and go back to dream land. However, as I got the blanket to my chin, I felt it resist to go further up. I sigh and try to pull again, starting to get irritated when it still refuses to budge. I start to sit up to see what's holding my blanket down when I feel something heavy suddenly flop onto my waist, curling tightly around me. I jump and sit up straight, looking down to see a fluff of white hair sticking out of the blanket still on my bed.

A blush came full flush over my face and I felt my heart start to race. I pull the blanket down from his face and notice that he's still asleep. How in the hells did he get in my room? Or in my bed, for that matter? I'm a light sleeper, for heaven's sake, I'd have noticed him crawling into bed with me. I look up and see Faust on the windowsill, fast asleep like her counterpart. I sigh and rub my temples, racking my brain to try and remember when he came into my room.

Wait... I remember now. It started storming in the middle of the night, and Asra knows I'm terrified of storms. I don't recall how long I was awake before I felt Faust slither into my bed. I remember her licking my cheeks in an attempt to calm me down before I heard Asra in the doorway.

"Rae? Are you okay?" he had asked, moving my fabric I passed for a door and walked into my room. I shook my head without looking at him, and I heard a soft sigh. I watched his feet as he came closer to my bed, and I had felt the bed dip under his weight. "Do you want me to stay here with you until you can fall asleep?"

"Yes, please," I replied softly. Foust had moved up to the windowsill, giving Asra room to climb in my bed and under my blanket. He had wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I had been too scared to realize how close he was to me then, and all I knew was the feeling of him running his fingers up and down my back lightly had helped me drift off to sleep.

I sigh softly, brushing some of Asra's hair out of his face. With the brunt of the storm out of the way, I was enjoying the rain and chilly weather. I slowly remove Asra's arm from my waist and scoot closer to the wall, leaning against it. I run my hand through Asra's hair slowly, doing my best not to wake him up. I didn't think he'd still be here after I fell asleep, but I'm thankful he did. I was able to sleep, and I didn't wake back up. Something about him being near me calms me down as much as it makes me flustered. I don't know how I got lucky to have him in my life, regardless of what I had done in my past.

I hadn't told anyone here of my past in great detail. I don't exactly plan on telling them, either. It's not something I'm exactly proud of, nor is it something I want to relive. I left my past for a reason, and I wanted to leave it there. I don't want to drag the people I care about into the mess I was once in. Losing them like I had lost past friends would kill me.

I hear Asra stir besides me, and I look down at him. He mumbles something I don't understand and lays his head in my lap, making me smile a little as I continue to run my hand through his hair.

"Good morning, sleepy head," I say softly, smiling down at him. "How did you sleep?"

"Mmm.. I slept better than I have in months. Are you okay?" He asks, slowly opening his eyes to look at me.

"I'm better now, yeah. I'm sorry you had to come in here to calm me down," I answer softly, looking away as I apologize. "I didn't mean to bother you with my silly fears."

"You don't need to apologize, Rae. I didn't mind, really," Asra answers. "Faust is the one who woke me up. She was really worried about you."

Speaking of Faust, I look over at her. She's awake now, still curled in her coil, but is flicking her tongue at me. I give her a small smile.

"Seems like I worry you both more than I should," I mumble out loud. I heard Asra chuckle before nuzzling my thighs, closing his eyes again.

"You don't have to apologize, really. We care about you, Rae," he muses out loud, letting out a content sigh.

"If you say so, master," I laugh out. I felt a small tap on my thigh from Asra's warm hand.

"What did I say about that, hm? You don't have to call me that anymore. Call me by my name," he commends, a sly smile on his lips. I blush lightly, not looking at him.

"S-Sorry. It's a force of habit. I've been calling you master since I've met you," I grumble out.

"Well, let's try practicing now," Asra suggests, sitting up. I whine inwardly, already missing his warmth. "Come on, call me my name, Rae."

I stutter many words before I cover my face with my hands. He can't honestly expect me to just simply call him by his name first go, can he? Sure, I've always thought of him as Asra and not master, but saying it out loud - and to him, of all people- will be a hard adjustment. I feel Asra take my hand in his as he pulls them away from my face. He puts my chin between his thumb and pointer finger and gently pulls my face towards him. I see mischief in his eyes and in the smirk playing his lips.

"Say my name, Rae," he commands softly, his voice as soft as a breath of air. I feel my breath catch in my throat as I feel myself becoming lost in his eyes.

"Asra," I breathe out, his head slowly inching closer to mine. I let my eyes flutter close as I feel his forehead press against mine firmly, doing my best to take a deep breath. Asra moves his hand from my chin to my cheek, slowly moving his thumb across my cheek. We stay there for a few moments before he speaks.

"Rae, I-"

Asra is interrupted by pounding heard from the shop's door downstairs. We both quickly pull apart from each other, suddenly flustered and not looking at each other.

"I, uh, I should go see who that is," Asra says shyly, getting off my bed. He collects Faust from the windowsill and heads towards the door.

"I'll start on breakfast, then," I say shyly. What I said makes Asra stop in his tracks, making him slowly turn to look at me. He gives me a small smile and nods before he ducks under my fabric divider, and out of sight. I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. What in the world was that? We were so close, I could feel his breath on my lips. I lightly touch my lips, a small smile forming on them. What was he going to say to me?

I get out of bed, changing out of my sleep clothes and into comfortable ones before fixing my hair. When it's done to my liking, I head out of my room and towards the kitchen, thinking of what to cook for breakfast. I get eggs, cactus pieces, and herbs out and place them on the counter. I head towards the tea cabinet before I hear a familiar voice coming up the steps with Asra. I sigh as I smile, grabbing cardamom tea and coffee out of the cabinet before heading towards where the mugs are.

"I know Nadia said she wanted to speak with you two today, but her sisters are visiting, so she wanted me to come over and inform you that you'll have to visit tomorrow instead," I hear Julian explain as the two men finally make it to the kitchen. "She isn't happy she has to put it off, but she's glad her sisters are here to visit. I'm sure you remember them from the last masquerade, Asra."

"Yeah, I remember them well," I hear Asra reply. I know he must have a small smile on his face as he looks back on the memory. "That was an... interesting party, wasn't it, Ilya?"

"You could say that again," Julian scoffs out. "Oh, good morning, Rae!"

I turn to the men and give Julian a smile.

"Good morning, Julian. Will you be joining us for breakfast?" I ask him, slightly hopeful he'll say yes. After what happened in my room, I'm not sure I can handle being alone with Asra right now. "You're soaking wet, too. Take off your coat."

"Uh, I, um, as long as that's okay with you two, that is," he stutters out, quickly taking his jacket off at my command. Julian is way too eager to please those he cared for, even if it was doing the silliest tasks.

"I don't mind, I'm sure A-Asra doesn't mind either," I say, stuttering his name. I didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking at me. I see Julian raise an eyebrow, but thankfully knew not to ask questions.

"I don't mind, Ilya. Make yourself comfortable, I'll start the tea and coffee," Asra offers, walking over to me to pluck the tea and coffee from my hands. I jump slightly before turning to the food.

"So, now that you have a free day today, what do you two have planned?" Julian asks.

"Honestly, I'll probably head back to bed," I answer honestly. "Today is the kind of day you should just stay in bed with a warm mug of tea and a good book."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," I hear Asra mutter next to me. I glance at him, only to find him eyeing me with another one of his sly grins on his face. I quickly look back to the food in front of me, knowing I have a blush on my face. Sometimes, I hated the effect on me. Just one look can set my face on fire.

"Hmm. While that sounds amazing, these kinds of days are also great to take a walk and have a good, warm lunch," Julian muses. "Spend time with friends and whatnot. I know Nadia gave Pasha the day off, so I don't see anything other than salty bitters in my near future."

I chuckle before telling him, "Well, maybe I'll join you two for some drinks."

Asra gave me a look of surprise while Julian gave me a huge grin.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Julian cheers. "Why don't you join us, Asra? I'm sure the ladies would love seeing you outside the shop and palace."

"Mmm... I'll think about it."

This time, I'm the one who gave Asra a surprised look. Any time Julian asked Asra to go to the Rowdy Raven, Asra would just flat out say no. Is he honestly considering going to the bar with us tonight? I know it isn't really his preferred place, so why would he go out of his way to give Julian hope?

"That's what I'm talking about! First few rounds will be on me, after that, you guys are on your own," Julian laughs out, giving us both a gigantic grin.

Asra and Julian continue to converse while I continue cooking breakfast. They start talking about things going on at the palace, including the flooded district and the next masquerade. I knew I had arrived in Vesuvia a few weeks after the last masquerade, so I'm very curious as to how the people here threw major parties. It seemed to be a couple months away, maybe three at most, and the Countess was already in planning mode. I've tried talking to Asra about it before, but he'd always quickly change the subject. When I talked to Julian about it, the only thing he said was the last masquerade didn't go as planned. Thankfully, it ended well, and the Countess was hoping to throw another one without any troubles happening. No one would tell me what happened at the last masquerade, and I started to think it was for the best.

Shortly after the food was done, we all ate and talked about our plans for later this evening. Julian said he and Portia would meet us in front of the shop so we could all walk to the tavern together. We sit around for an hour or so after breakfast has filled our bellies, and talk about things that had happened in the last year.

"I remember how I met you, Ilya," I muse, sending him an evil grin. "Asra had decided to take me to the castle to meet the Countess, and on the way to the salon, you ran out of the bath room. Stark naked."

"W-Well, I was looking for Pasha! She had taken me, er, my clothes, and I didn't, uh, have anything to wear, you see..." he explains, his face going ten shades of red. "I didn't exactly expect to run into you in the halls, you know."

"I know," I laugh out. "I don't know who was more embarrassed: you or Asra!"

At my words, Asra sputters a bit of his tea.

"I wasn't wanting your first impression of him to be of his-" Asra starts before Julian cuts in.

"Nah ah ah! Please, can we just forget what you both saw?" he pleads, a slight whine in his tone.

"Oh, but why would we want to do that, Ilya? It was quite the impression," I tease, wiggling my eyebrows at him. That gets me another whine as he plants his face in his hands. I laugh again, knowing when he's had enough teasing.

"And on that note, I believe that's my cue to leave. I'll be back with Pasha when it's dark out," Julian says, rising from his seat and heads towards his coat.

"Okay, Ilya. We'll be ready and waiting," Asra promises with a small smile. "I'll walk you out, so I can lock up after you."

"I'll clean up here, you two go on," I add, standing up and gathering the dirty dishes.

"Thank you both for breakfast and coffee," Julian thanks with a smile, kindness in his eyes as he looks at me.

"Of course, Ilya. Just please make sure we're actually awake next time you come to visit," Asra comments.

"O-Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I'll make note to not come as early next time," he mumbles, a small blush forming on his cheeks.

I give Asra a look, silently asking why he lied. He simply shakes his head and goes to walk Julian out. I sigh and go to clean the dishes. After washing, rinsing, and drying said dishes, I stretch and rub my eyes. When did I get so tired? Energy was out and about when Julian was here, so why did it have to leave? I wanted to read a bit from a book Portia had let me borrow. I take my hair out of my high bun and ran my hands through it, hoping it would lie flat. I walk towards my room and take off my shirt, looking for something a bit more comfortable to wear on this lazy day. I find a soft, long sleeve shirt with a small V slit in the front. It was one of my favorite colors, which was a soft lavender color. I sigh contently after I put it on. I wrap my arms around myself as I sit on my bed, falling onto my back.

I close my eyes and listen to the rain hitting the window. The room had a calm energy about it, more than likely thanks to the rain. I start to hum softly, remembering the children's lullaby I heard often as a kid. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't hear anyone come in the room. The next thing I knew, I felt the bed dip down a bit on either side of my head and outside my thighs. My eyes shoot open as I see Asra hovering above me, smiling sweetly down at me. My face flushes every shade of red one could imagine.

"A-Asra? What are you doing?" I squeak out, slowly trying to shrink myself into the mattress.

"Oh, nothing much. Just trying to hear the song you were humming. You were humming so softly, I had to get closer to hear you," he mutters softly, not taking his eyes off me.

"Um, well, u-uh," I stammer out. "I-I'm done humming, so maybe you don't have to be so... So close anymore?"

I see a hint of mischief flash across his eyes as his smile widens, showing off his adorable dimples.

"Do I make you nervous, Rae?" he questions me, slowly lowering his head.

"Yes, actually," I blurt out without thinking. "I, uh, I mean... I get nervous when anyone is extremely close to me."

I'm not sure he believes me, but he just chuckles as he thankfully rolls onto the mattress next to me with a thud. He turns his head and asks me, "Is this better?"

I don't hear my heart in my ears, so I'd say that this is more than better, I think. All I do is nod, not able to meet his eye.

"So, are you excited to drink with Ilya and Portia tonight?" Asra asks, rolling onto his side. He leans on his elbow and plants his head in his hand.

"I am. It's been a few weeks since we've been able to all hang out together, and I'm ready to see Portia. I had a question about that, actually," I admit. "You don't normally want to go to the Rowdy Raven. What changed your mind tonight?"

"Maybe I miss hanging out with you three," he answers, using his free hand to trace shapes onto my arm. "Maybe I didn't want you to be out without me if a storm happens up again."

I look up at him, and while his eyes are on me, it seems he's far away. I place one of my hands on top of his, making him snap back to reality.

"Are you okay? You're starting to make me worry, Asra," I ask softly, giving his hand a small squeeze. He smiles and chuckles a little.

"I'm fine, dear. Don't you worry about me," he mutters softly. I let out a small sigh and nod.

"Well, if you're sure, I think I'm going to take a nap. Breakfast was more energy than I expected to put out, and I'm exhausted," I tell him, sitting up on the bed and stretching. "What will you be doing?"

"Ah, I'll probably be practicing a bit of magic I'm trying to perfect. If I'm successful, I might teach it to you soon," he answers as he grins up at me.

Asra is talented in all forms of magic, and hearing him be excited about learning something new made me contently happy. Knowing he'd want to teach it to me makes me excited.

"Then go have fun, and be careful, please."

We both stand to hug each other, and I notice he hugs me a bit tighter than normal.

"Get some rest, Rae. I know you'll need energy for tonight."

And with that, he walks out the room. I lay on my bed and draw the blankets over my head. The events of the morning run through my mind over and over until the rain lulls me to sleep.


End file.
